The Zeitgeist List · coaching

Gene Chizik

Followed Tommy Tuberville. Gene Chizik moved Auburn from Power Program II to Blue Blood in 4 seasons.

The ascent
38–38
2007–2012 · 2 stints
Iowa StateAuburn
← all coaches

Career arc

His real stature score, season by season, across every program he’s coached — so a stretch that stays in one tier the whole way can still climb or sink on the line, not just flatten out. Node color marks the tier reached. Which program a stretch belongs to is carried by the shaded lane behind it.

Stature score reached, by season of his head-coaching careerIOWA STATEAUBURNBlue Bloodpermanent top tierPower Programperennial contenderNational Programrespectable, streakyRegional Programthe building-block levelIowa State, 2007: 3-9, Regional Program II2007Iowa State, 2008: 2-10, Regional Program III2008-2.0Auburn, 2009: 8-5, Power Program II2009Auburn, 2010: 14-0, Blue Blood2010Auburn, 2011: 8-5, Power Program I2011Auburn, 2012: 3-9, Power Program II2012+6.2One point per coached season, in career order; dashed segments are program changes — spacing is not proportional to calendar time

Reached Blue Blood in his 4th career season — faster than 43% of the 100 FBS coaches who have ever reached Blue Blood (rank #52 of 100 by seasons-to-arrival).

Iowa State, 2 seasons
−2.0
Regional Program II → Regional Program III.
Auburn, 4 seasons
+6.2
Power Program II → Power Program II.

The big-game ledger

How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.

3–7 against his rivals. Just 1–3 against Les Miles.

Rivalry record
3–7
30.0% · 3 rivals
One-score games
15–11
57.7% · margin ≤8
vs. Blue Blood or better
0–2
0.0%
Rivalry ledger
Georgia1–325%
Alabama1–325%
Iowa1–150%
The toughest matchup
vs. Les Miles1–3
4 meetings, 2009–2012
’09 L’10 W’11 L’12 L
25% win rate across a real, 4-meeting series — short of the bar this site uses before badging a series “Nemesis.” Shown here as the toughest matchup on record, not an algorithmic crown.
Performance by opponent class
Dynasty
0–2 0.0%
Blue Blood
3–8 27.3%
Power Program
10–13 43.5%
National Program
9–9 50.0%
Regional Program
11–5 68.8%

Coaching career

2009–2012
Auburncaretaker
Power Program II → Blue Blood
Gene Chizik moved Auburn from Power Program II to Blue Blood in 4 seasons.

1st-best Auburn tenure of 16 by the numbers.

Followed Tommy Tuberville (1999–2008) · succeeded by Gus Malzahn (2013–2020).

Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints

11 NFL Draft picks: Sen'Derrick Marks (2009), Jerraud Powers (2009), Tyronne Green (2009), Ben Tate (2010), Walter McFadden (2010), Cam Newton (2011), Nick Fairley (2011), Zach Clayton (2011) + 3 more

33–19
2007–2008
Iowa Statecaretaker
Regional Program I → Regional Program II
Gene Chizik slid Iowa State from Regional Program I to Regional Program II in 2 seasons.

9th-best Iowa State tenure of 19 by the numbers.

Followed Dan McCarney (1995–2006) · succeeded by Paul Rhoads (2009–2015).

3 NFL Draft picks: Aaron Brant (2007), Alvin Bowen (2008), Ahtyba Rubin (2008)

5–19